US plans voluntary code on firms’ ‘faceprint’ plans

Bloomberg

Growth in the facial-recognition market is being fueled by cameras with the ability to capture quality photographs, databases with photographs linked to people’s online identities and computing power to analyze images, Joseph Atick, co-founder of the Washington-based International Biometrics and Identification Association, said in a telephone interview.

“This is a perfect storm,” said Atick, who pioneered the technology in the 1990s. “There is reason for alarm.”

The association, which represents Lockheed Martin Corp and other technology companies that work with facial recognition software and hardware, wants the code of conduct to be voluntary, with the Federal Trade Commission supervising how companies implement it, Atick said.

Companies should be required to notify people and get their consent before using the technology on them, Atick said.